What Lurks Out There
by Salem-Angelus
Summary: please R&R. Summary within.


TITLE: "Now I Know."  
  
AUTHOR: Salem  
  
EMAIL: Salem_Angelus@hotmail.com  
  
FEEDBACK: Would be lovely.  
  
ARCHIVE/DISTRIBUTION: This site or ask  
  
SUMMARY: Buffy is sure she is being followed on a hunt and this continues for a few nights. After finding out and dealing with her stalker first hand, Riley meets Angel for the first time and is horrified to learn that him and Buffy had a relationship. Confused, Buffy reject both men until she can find her heart and make the right choice.  
  
CONTENT/WARNINGS: Buffy/Riley, Buffy/Angel, Some R/A violence  
  
SPOILERS: Season 4.character spoilers mostly  
  
RATING: 15 (PG-14 for the American readers) It's what you would see on the show.  
  
Disclaimer: Evil Joss Whedon owns them.grrrr.*runs off with angel* *************************************************** Buffy rolled over to the side, avoiding the axe of the demon as it hit the ground beside her. She leapt to her feet and armed only with a stake, rushed the demon to the floor. The axe went flying, as did Buffy after the demon threw her from him. Buffy landed near the axe and picked it up.  
  
"Say goodnight" She said to the demon. Pausing for a moment and then realising the demon had no mouth anyways, she just quickly decapitated it.  
  
"Nice work" Xander said as he emerged from the bushes, followed by Oz, Willow and Giles.  
  
"Who are you, Giles?" she laughed. Xander stopped and looked at everyone who seemed to be laughing, even Giles was a little.  
  
"Even so Buffy, Nice.um.great slaying" Giles corrected his joke.  
  
"Ha ha" Xander said, picking up the demon's head and placing it in a garbage sack. Oz and Willow helped with the rest of the body, chopping it up with the axe that killed it.  
  
"Ooo! The best part of being a slayerette!" Willow said in a sarcastic yet excited way. "Disposing of the body" She beamed a smile at Oz.  
  
"Highly exciting" He smiled back.  
  
The gang made short work of the demon body and after placing all the parts in sacks they left the forest clearing.  
  
"You must admit, it was quite humorous" Giles still taunted Xander. Xander didn't laugh, but instead stormed ahead to Oz's van that was parked around the corner. Buffy paused just as they reached the corner.  
  
"What is it Buffy?" Willow asked. Buffy turned around but nothing was there.  
  
"Thought I heard something," she told Willow as she turned around. Oz glanced over Buffy's shoulder into the darkness.  
  
"Nothing Buffy. You sure you heard something?" She nodded.  
  
"Whatever it is can wait til tomorrow," She started. "I'm tired" She finished as she walked past Giles and got into the back of Oz's van. They all followed, Xander, Giles and Buffy in the back and Willow in the front. Oz slid the door closed and took one more look into the darkness. He was sure someone, or something was there too. Like Buffy said, it can wait he thought to himself, then walked around the back of the van and into the drivers seat. As they pulled away a creature from the bushes watched them. The creature said nothing, did nothing until they were out of sight, then it retreated back through the forest.  
  
Buffy lay on her bed and looked at the ceiling. Many thoughts ran through her head at that moment in time like, what was Riley doing right now? Why is blue cheese blue? What is that chill!? She sat up and looked at her window. Closed, as was her door. There was no place the cold shiver could be coming from so after a while she shook it off and put in down to her not being under the covers. She made sure the window was closed properly and crawled under her covers to sleep. She turned off her light and lay down, totally oblivious to the figure at her window.  
  
"Well, i'm sure she didn't mean to be late on purpose" Giles tried to protect Buffy as the Dean rattled on the other end of the phone. "Yes. I'll tell her that too.er.yes" Giles paused as Buffy walked though his door. "Ok.no thank you for letting me know. Goodbye" Giles hung up.  
  
"Who was that?" Buffy asked casually. Giles gave her a stern look. "Well?" Buffy paused. "Oh.the Dean. He noticed I was."  
  
"Absent? Yes! Buffy what are you playing at! Didn't you know monsters and demons alike take advantage of "sick" slayers?" Giles took of his glasses, threw them on his table and sat in his chair, running his fingers through his hair.  
  
"I don't see what the big deal is anyways its not like its the."  
  
"End of the world?" Buffy nodded whilst crunching up a cookie. "No its not exactly but pretty damn near" Giles threw a book across his front room which made Buffy jump and swallow her cookie almost whole. She gulped.  
  
"So, I'll be going to school now" She grabbed her bag and headed for the door.  
  
"No!" Giles spun around. Buffy stopped dead. "Your staying here now, I may need your help to research this prophecy" He slowly turned around and pointed to the book he had thrown. Buffy put her bag down and walked over to the book, picked it up and handed it to him. He gave her a 'sorry I got mad' smile and gave her another book to research in.  
  
"What exactly are we researching again?" Anya asked Giles. "'Cos I could probably tell you what you need to know straight away" She nodded around the group. Giles sighed and looked up from his book frustrated.  
  
"The prophecy written in front of you" Giles rubbed his eyes.  
  
"Oh this" Anya read it out loud.  
  
"The vortex to Hell / and Evil turns good / when Good turns to Evil / blah blah blah" Buffy looked up from her book puzzled.  
  
"Anya, read that bit again"  
  
"What, blah blah blah?" Anya looked at Xander for help, who shrugged.  
  
"No, the part before" Buffy stood up and walked over to Anya to read it herself. Giles followed.  
  
"What is it Buffy?" Willow asked worriedly. Buffy read it to herself. "Vortex to hell.Evil turns good! Don't you guys see!" The group gave her nothing but blank faces. "Its Spike, and Angelus" She said quieter. Her first response came from Willow.  
  
"Ooo!" She shouted. "I get it! Angelus tried to open hell and Spike helped us!" She looked around the rest of the blank faces.  
  
"Giles, what does the rest of it say?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Well, i'm trying to translate it. It's not in any modern language" By which, he meant any language younger than the year dot.  
  
"Keep researching. I'm going on patrol" Buffy swung on her coat.  
  
"By yourself?" Oz asked her.  
  
"I'll be ok and besides, Riley might be around anyways" She closed the door quietly as she left the house.  
  
As she walked up to the cemetery, she buried her hands deep into her pockets.  
  
"Cold" she whispered to herself.  
  
"Isn't it" A voice came from behind her. "That's the trouble with slaying in the winter"  
  
"It's not winter, i'm just cold" Buffy said as she took her stake out of her inside pockets and braced her self for an attack. There was to be no attack. Just as Buffy was about to spin round and stake the vamp, it cries of pain could be heard clearly. Buffy turned around to see a pile of dust and nothing else. The bushes were not disturbed and there was no one walking about the graves. As soon as whoever, or whatever had staked the vamp, Buffy felt a lot warmer and ready for action.  
  
"Thanks" She called into the darkness. "But I can handle it myself next time" she grunted to herself and continued into the depths of the cemetery. All the time Buffy had a sense she was being followed but if it was the same thing that saved her, it posed no threat. She would just tell Giles.  
  
"All night? It followed you all night?" was the response she got from Giles the next morning when she stopped by his house.  
  
"Yup" Buffy said as she drank a glass of water she had poured herself in Giles' kitchen.  
  
"But never attacked you?" Giles asked as he took of his glasses and thought.deeply. Buffy shook her head, still with a mouthful of water. She swallowed and washed up the glass, placing it back on the worktop.  
  
"I'll let you research that one," she said hastily as she grabbed her bag and headed past a meditating watcher to the door. No answer came so she left, beginning her journey back to the college for lessons.  
  
Sunnydale UC was the worst place to go if you wanted to go to college that was. So close to a Hellmouth, strange things happened all the time. What got Buffy was that no one seemed to remember or even acknowledge them, which was good. She however was the one who did remember them all. Every strange thing that opened its gross jaws to a student, or threatened humanity, Buffy had to fight it. Those were the experiences that were a little harder to forget, but there were things that kept her sane.  
  
"Hey Buffy" Came a call from the hall as she began to walk up the stairs. She turned; it was Riley, one of those things that kept her sane. It was still hard for her to talk or even hear the word Angel nowadays, and with this thing stalking her at night, she felt safe with Riley around.  
  
"Hey Riley, wassup?" she asked.  
  
"Oh nothing, on my way to class, well to help anyways" he smiled at Buffy. Riley being a T.A Didn't bother Buffy one bit, if anything it made her feel stronger as a person.  
  
Riley grabbed Buffy's hand and pulled her to one side, close enough so he could whisper to her without anyone hearing.  
  
"I heard about the thing following you. Want me to patrol tonight?" He offered kindly. She shook her head a little.  
  
"Nah, i'm ok. You can help though if you want to" She really wanted him to say yes. He squeezed her hand a little and nodded. "Ok, so I'll see ya at 9pm in Restfield Cemetery, k?" She began to walk backwards up the stairs, letting go of his hand.  
  
"9pm" he echoed and walked on down the hall after watching Buffy walk up the stairs.  
  
Buffy walked across the road and towards the gates of the old cemetery. There was no sign of Riley. Buffy looked at her watch. 9:30 pm. Ok she was late, but she was here.  
  
"Riley?" She whispered into the darkness. There was no verbal answer, instead a rustling in the bushes. "Ok Riley" she smiled, "Come on out. We have to patrol"  
  
When Riley didn't emerge she took her stake out of her pocket and tensed as she walked into he gates.  
  
"Hello?" She called. "Anyone?" She began to edge nearer and nearer to the bushes. "Alright! Show your ugly face or i'm gonna come in there an."  
  
A very ugly and presumably, very old vampire emerged from the bushes and lunged at Buffy. The vamp had some sort of Armour on and had a metal club. Buffy knew it wasn't a vamp from around these parts, or even this country by the way it spoke. Probably drawn here by the Hellmouth's energy she thought, recapping Giles' favourite saying about vampires and other demons.  
  
"Ok, slay time" She said to herself as the vampire charged and missed gashing open her side by a few centimetres. Buffy wasn't sure what it said, but it mumbled something in Latin, or so she thought. The vamp doubled back on itself and charged her again, this time knocking her to the ground by a blow the leg. Buffy let out a moan as she stumbled to her feet, limping from the agony. The vampire raised its club and struck Buffy to the side of the head, almost knocking he unconscious. The blow did leave her with very little energy and she couldn't fight back as the vampire stood over her. It whispered something to her in the same language as before and swung back its club, ready to finish of the slayer. Buffy held her hands up to her face and waited for the blow but it never came. Instead she heard the sound of the vampire's agonising cries of pain as it exploded into dust, and the particles falling on top of Buffy. She wiped her eyes and rolled over, pushing herself off the floor, and brushed the dust off of her clothing.  
  
"I didn't think you was going to show tonight Ri." She stopped and stared. Amazed and yet more pain stricken than ever at what she saw in front of her. "Angel?" She breathed lightly. The vampire managed a smile.  
  
"Hey" he said quietly as he fiddled with the stake he was holding.  
  
"What brings you to Sunnydale?" Buffy tried desperately to make conversation. Angel looked up from his hands.  
  
"I.I."  
  
"Buffy! What happened?" Riley asked as he ran into the cemetery and saw the pile of dust on the floor. Buffy looked at Angel who looked back with his melting brown eyes.  
  
"I.was attacked, hit bad, saved. The usual" She tried to be funny. Riley glanced at Angel who held the stake in his hand.  
  
"By you?" Riley held out his hand for Angel to shake. Buffy stopped the bonding.  
  
"No Riley. Angel was just picking up my.um.thing for me, right?" she gave a pleading look towards Angel who knew what she meant.  
  
"Yah" he handed the stake to Riley. "She dropped it" Riley looked at Buffy who nodded and smiled.  
  
"Well than thanks man" Riley trailed off as he turned and Angel was gone.  
  
"Are you sure Buffy said tonight?" Xander asked Willow, shouting over the music. Willow nodded and continued to watch Oz play on stage.  
  
"What time?" Xander asked Willow again. She shrugged. Xander huffed and leant on his elbow in a sulk.  
  
His toe still tapped to the music though. He glanced towards the door looking, and waiting for Buffy to arrive. She never broke her promises, not to him and Willow. Xander glanced back to Willow but saw past her at someone who caught his eye. He tapped Willow on the shoulder and pointed towards the dark figure pressed against the far wall. Willow looked in the direction Xander was pointing and then back at Xander.  
  
"It can't be, can it?" she asked him.  
  
"I don't know, go see" He pushed Willow a little until she reluctantly got up of her seat and walked towards the wall. Xander watched but still tapped his toe to the music, just to be less conspicuous.  
  
Willow reached out and tapped the figure on the shoulder.  
  
"Uh.Angel?" She asked ready to back away if it wasn't. He turned around and smiled at her.  
  
"Hey Willow, how are you?" He questioned.  
  
"Good, Good" She was glad he was Angel. She hated embarrassing situations. "What brings you to Sunnydale?" She asked him. Angel looked ashamed and dropped his head.  
  
"I.er.I just wanted to see Buffy again. I know I shouldn't but I can't stop thinking about her Willow" He looked at her with a pleading look. Willow felt so sorry for him. He obviously didn't know about Riley. She had to tell him.  
  
"Angel, you know who Riley is right?" Willow began to twiddle her fingers.  
  
"Yah, he's Buffy's friend, why? We met at the cemetery," Angel thought of how stupid that answer would sound to a normal person.  
  
"Well, him and Buffy are very very good friends" She widened her eyes and looked at Angel, hoping he would get the hint and realise. Angel smiled at Willow's antics.  
  
"What do you mean?" He chuckled.  
  
"They're dating Angel" Willow hated breaking the bad news to Angel and Angel hated hearing it.  
  
"What?" He asked her, blinking in disbelief.  
  
"Buffy and Riley are." She got cut short by Angel's temper.  
  
"I heard Will!" He turned to face the wall, punching it with his fist. After realising what he had done he turned to Willow again.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you its just." He put his hand on her shoulder to say he was sorry.  
  
"I am just shocked" He ran his hand up and down his face and through his hair.  
  
"Are you angry at Buffy?" Willow asked. She knew he was in a way. He looked at her and tilted his head to the side, stepped forward and hugged her.  
  
"No, i'm not angry at Buffy, or any of you" He smiled. "But could you tell me a bit about this Riley guy?" He pleaded.  
  
"Sure" Willow agreed. "He's older than Buffy, full name Riley Finn" she thought "oh, and he works for a secret demon hunting organisation called the Initiative" Willow realised what she had just told Angel.  
  
"Um.forget I said that last one" She tried to cover up her mistake.  
  
"So, he has powers, like Buffy?" Angel asked. Realising she had no way to get out of her actions Willow nodded.  
  
"Sort of.a little. I don't know"  
  
"Thanks. You've been a great help," Angel sounded dangerous and aggravated, but at what, Willow couldn't tell. He walked past her and out of the door, his long leather jacket trailing behind him.  
  
"Your welcome" Willow said to herself and slumped back to the table.  
  
Buffy and Riley walked up the dorm steps to Stevenson hall, Buffy's dorm, hand in hand. Riley stopped just before the doorway; just to make sure the silent Buffy was all right. He swung her round to face him.  
  
"Are you ok?" He asked softly tilting his head to looking into her eyes. "You haven't said anything since we left the cemetery"  
  
Buffy looked into his eyes. Not the same as Angel she thought. Buffy sighed.  
  
"It's just" she paused "Nothing" She forced a smile across her pain stricken face. Riley smiled at her and gently placed a kiss on her forehead.  
  
"Ok then if you're sure. I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked.  
  
"Tomorrow" Buffy nodded. Riley leant down to kiss Buffy who reluctantly kissed him back.  
  
The hall was almost empty. Everyone was out partying at "the party hall", the music heard even from this side of the campus. Buffy remembered a conversation she and Willow had had not long ago and giggled to herself.  
  
"From the hall that brought us the somebody sneezed party and the day that ends in "y" party"  
  
Buffy slid her key into the keyhole and turned the latch. A chill flew up Buffy's back as she opened the door and the first thing she did was close the window. Buffy walked in and pulled her key out of the door, walked over to the window and stood, frozen as she heard the door close behind her. For some reason Buffy felt safe and resisted the urge to turn around and kill whatever was behind her. It touched her shoulder and she jumped around, delivering a roundhouse kick to the creatures jaw. It flew back against the door, only then did she realise what she had done.  
  
"Oh my god, Angel!" She screamed as she ran to the vampire half propped against the door. Angel shook his head and sat, stunned, looking up at Buffy. She helping him to his feet and stood back. Angel managed a small, weak smile and rubbed his jaw.  
  
"Hey" he said weakly leaning against the door for support. Buffy was about to speak but Angel knew the question.  
  
"I'm fine," He said looking at her totally forgetting all his pain. "How are you?" He walked towards her. Buffy turned away and walked to look out of the window.  
  
"As far as being stalked by your ex-honey goes i'm fine. How did you get in here anyways?" Buffy wasn't happy with Angel decision to follow her without her knowing, it wasn't fair.  
  
"Oh Willow.how's Riley" Angel forced the words out of his still breathing mouth. Buffy swung around and seriously looked at Angel.  
  
"You stay away from him," Buffy warned Angel, who took the response by surprise. "Stalk me then kill my boyfriend is that it Angel?" Angel looked at the floor unable to answer. She was right. He hated every inch of Riley and wanted to tear him limb from limb, Angelus or not, his love for her was stronger.  
  
"I'm sorry, I should have called" Angel said deeply looking up from the floor into her eyes.  
  
"Yah well, who told you eh? Was it Xander? Giles?" Buffy was cross and not just pissed at him. Something else was up.  
  
"Told me what Buffy? What's going on?" Angel pleaded.  
  
"You tell me Angel," She growled angrily. "Why are you here?"  
  
Angel had no choice but to tell her the real reason. He had no chance now all was lost. With this Riley in her life, Buffy wasn't going to just drop everything for him again. He had to just tell her and hope she didn't hate him.  
  
"I love you" Angel said looking to the floor then back up to her. "I try not to but I can't stop. I had to see you again" A tear rolled down his cheek. "You don't call and I worry. I worry so much. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you" Angel glanced over to her bedside table where her stake lay. "I'd probably stake myself"  
  
"Don't" Buffy said. "Just don't Angel. Don't you ever talk like that" Buffy moved closer to him embracing him in her arms. A tear rolled down Buffy's cheek too and a knock at the door interrupted the moment. Buffy pointed to her closet and pushed Angel away from her. He obeyed and hid in the shadows. Buffy wiped the tears from her face and breath in deeply, turned the handle and opened the door.  
  
"Riley" She said surprised.  
  
"Hi I was just passing by and thought you might like some company" He smiled.  
  
"Um...not right now Riley. Maybe some other time k?  
  
"Oh ok. Can I ask why?"  
  
The conversation continued at the door while Angel stood in the shadows of her closet. As he listened to Buffy trying to make up an excuse he grew angry at the sound of Riley's voice. Finally he decided to show himself, whatever the trouble it would cause Buffy.  
  
"You don't have another tall dark handsome stranger in there do you Buffy?" Riley tried to look around the door at the part of the room Buffy was hiding. "C'mon Buffy, let me in" Riley pushed past her into the room.  
  
"Riley no!" Buffy shouted to him. Riley spun around to look at her in the doorway.  
  
"What?" He giggled. "What are you hiding?"  
  
Buffy shut the door behind her as Riley sat on her bed waiting for her to join him.  
  
"Riley" Buffy perched herself opposite him on Willow's bed. "There's something you need to know" Buffy's horrified face told him she wasn't joking. Angel's gaze locked into Buffy's, as he appeared behind Riley, silent as his breath, and leaned against the wall.  
  
"What Buffy? What's wrong?" Riley tried to get her attention. "Buffy?"  
  
"Huh? Oh um." She tried to find the words and the room fell silent for a moment. Angel broke the silence.  
  
"He has to know Buffy" Angel said softly but slyly.  
  
Both Buffy and Riley shot up of the beds and snapped their gaze to Angel. Angel shrugged at Riley's gaze.  
  
"What did you expect Riley? I'm your tall dark handsome stranger Buffy was hiding" Angel could see Riley was filling with anger.  
  
"Angel stop it!" Buffy snapped at him. Riley looked at Buffy.  
  
"Buffy? Tell me he aint."  
  
"No! I'm not" Angel laughed and stepped into the light.  
  
"Angel?" Riley said stunned. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Buffy sank her face in her hands and fell back onto Willow's bed.  
  
"Guys stop it," She pleaded.  
  
"No no, tell him Buffy" Angel dropped her in even deeper. Riley looked at Angel in disgust.  
  
"You? And Buffy? Oh god no" He rubbed his hands through his hair. Buffy looked up at Angel giving him the 'you'll pay for this' look. Angel realised what Riley was thinking and laughed.  
  
"What's so funny?" Riley growled at Angel, clenching his fists.  
  
"You think me and Buffy?" Angel threw back his head laughing. "Well once" He looked at Buffy lovingly trying to apologise before his hatred for Riley totally unleashed his demon side. "It didn't work though" He finished.  
  
"You used her" Riley clenched his fists tighter.  
  
"Riley!" Buffy shouted to get his attention. He looked around at her letting down his guard. "Leave it," She said quietly.  
  
Riley returned his gaze to Angel. "No I wanna know why this jerk used you and then left, i'm presuming you left?" He asked Angel.  
  
"Yeah, after I killed a few people" Angel realised what he had said. His anger had grown to release the demon side of him.  
  
"You what" Riley blinked in disbelief then turned to Buffy. "You dated a murderer?"  
  
"Yeah, that kinda comes with the species" Angel winked at Buffy who shook her head at him and squinted her eyes uneasily. Riley looked confused.  
  
"What? What species? Surely to go out with Buffy you'd have to be human. What other species are there to date for crying out load!" Riley raised his hands in anger then stared at Buffy. "What's he talking about?" He demanded grabbing her arms and lifting her to her feet.  
  
"Don't do that," Angel said calmly though inside he was searing with anger. Riley glanced at Angel then back at Buffy.  
  
"Tell me!" he shouted at her shaking her a little.  
  
"I said don't do that" Angel moved forward to stand level with Riley and taking his hands out of his pockets pulled Riley around to face him.  
  
"Make me!" Riley delivered a violent punch to the side of Angel's face, which of course, made no impact on his what's so ever. All I did was provoke the vampire more who punched Riley in the stomach then to the bottom jaw, hurtling the boy across the room and crashing into the door. Angel walked to Buffy who was in shock having never seen this side of Riley before.ever!  
  
"Are you ok?" Angel asked hugging Buffy close to his chest. She didn't resist or notice his features had changed in anger. She managed a nod and began to cry. Angel tried to comfort her but in the corner of his golden yellow eyes noticed Riley was coming round.  
  
Riley shook his head and rubbed his jaw as he stood up.  
  
"What are you?" Riley demanded from Angel, whose face was hidden in the shadows. He did not answer.  
  
"I suggest you leave Buffy alone and get the hell away from her," Angel told him in a deep, raspy voice.  
  
"Go to hell!" Riley shouted at Angel. Angel felt Buffy squeeze his arm tighter in fear of Riley's voice. He pushed her away from him and raised his head into he dim light of the moon, shining through the window. Riley couldn't believe what he saw.  
  
"No thanks pal, been there, done that and deja vous just isn't what it used to be" Angel stared at Riley, looking him up and down with his feral eyes.  
  
"Buffy! A Vampire!" Riley shouted to her. "He's a Vampire! Kill him" Riley tried desperately to point out the obstruction in their relationship. Angel looked at him then opening his hands to the side of him chuckled sarcastically at Riley's words.  
  
"Duh!" He laughed and resumed his tight grip around Buffy. Riley shook his head in disbelief.  
  
"Buffy! Slay him!" Riley shouted. Buffy looked up from Angel's torso, her eyes full of tears, and walked up to Riley. She looked up into his eyes, which were once so loving and kind.  
  
"I don't kill friends or lovers. It's a little rule of mine. I fight the forces of darkness, prevent the apocalypse and am known as the Slayer. But if you ever try and tell me to slay Angel, ever, the rules change" She clenched her fists. "You understand me?"  
  
"You, the Slayer? You can't even slay one of the monsters that roams the streets at night and why? Because you have feelings for him"  
  
"No Riley. I love him" Even Angel was surprised by her words and after hearing them his features returned to normal. A knock at the door left everyone speechless. Buffy reached for the handle and opened the door to see Willow and Oz.  
  
"We heard Talking, thought we knock first" Oz told her. "You ok? Look as though you've been crying"  
  
"Yeah Buffy what's up?" Willow noticed Riley standing in the corner almost behind the door. She drew some actions to Buffy who in turn shook her head.  
  
"No he didn't, Riley was just leaving actually" She looked at him uneasy.  
  
"Yeah I was" Riley rushed past the group with Oz noting his bruised face. Willow followed Buffy into he room, leaving Oz looking after Riley storming down the hall.  
  
"There goes one angry puppy" he said then shook the thought away and walked into the dorm room, closing the door quietly behind him.  
  
Oz made sure the door was closed completely before turning to see Angel standing in the shadows. His wolf senses told him it was Angel.  
  
"Hey man" Oz said to Angel as he walked to stand beside Willow. Angel threw him a nod but said nothing.  
  
"Buffy what happened?" Willow asked her concerned. Buffy looked at Angel.  
  
"We...uh.had some trouble" she said not taking her eyes from him. Angel just looked at the floor, ashamed. Willow looked at Oz who squeezed her hand.  
  
"Should we come back later?" Oz offered.  
  
"No" Said Buffy "We can go out and talk, right" She asked Angel.  
  
"Yeah sure" He said, trying not to show his sadness. "We can go to the Bronze"  
  
"So we'll see you later then?" Willow asked Buffy concerned that he might runaway again over Riley. Buffy nodded and lead the way out of the door. Willow and Oz watched them go then just stood looking at each other.  
  
"Thanks" Buffy managed a small smile as Angel handed her a drink. Angel slid into the chair beside her and stared into his cup.  
  
"He's fine" Angel felt so ashamed of his actions earlier that evening.  
  
"Huh?" Buffy looked at him puzzled.  
  
"Riley" Angel said, "I'm sure he's fine" Buffy looked at Angel surprised.  
  
"What would you care?" She snapped. "It's your fault this happened" Angel looked at her then to the table. He knew she was right.  
  
"I'm sorry Buffy" She turned her head away from him. "I didn't mean for it to happen but for some reason I couldn't control the demon within" he tried to get her to look at him by cupping her chin with his forefinger and turning her sweet face to face him. A tear ran down her cheek and Angel wiped it away with his thumb.  
  
"The demon within" She started, "Are you sure it wasn't the fact that the man within hates Riley?"  
  
Angel pulled away his hand and looked to the table again, biting his lip. Buffy began to laugh sarcastically. "Demon within" she laughed, "The guys are gonna love that one" she picked up her jacket and headed for the door. Angel got up behind her and followed.  
  
"Then all what you said to Riley was a lie?" Buffy stopped dead in the alleyway as did Angel behind her. Buffy picked at her fingernails.  
  
"Not all of it" She said quietly. Angel stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Buffy. She didn't struggle to free herself.  
  
"So you do love me then?" He whispered into her ear. Buffy pulled his hands apart, stepped free from his grasp, and broke into a jog down the alleyway.  
  
"Always" She said quietly leaving Angel standing alone in the dark.  
  
The TV hit the wall hard, cracking the screen down the middle. Tearing around the room like a hurricane, Riley tore all the posters of his wall and threw them on the floor. It was a good job Forrest and Graham where away on leave. Riley picked up a stake on the floor; one Buffy had given him, and looked at it longingly. He broke down into tears.  
  
"What does she see in a vampire?" He demanded from the stake. "Tell me!" He threw the stake across the floor and hunched himself against the bed crying. A light knock at the door brought Riley to his senses. He shot up off the floor and headed for the door, pausing to straighten his hair and wipe away his tears. Riley opened the door but no one was there. He stepped out into the hall and looked to his left. His gaze to the right was met by a punch in the face delivered by an angry vampire.  
  
"You" Riley said deeply, staggering to his feet and wiping away the blood that flowed from his nose.  
  
"Me" Angel said. Riley dived into his room then stood to face the vampire.  
  
"What do you want?" Riley demanded. Angel stood there looking at him for a while then he said.  
  
"You know what I want but I cant have it and you know why? Because she's so in love with you!" Riley looked at Angel then the stake he had thrown earlier caught his eye.  
  
"Buffy?" Riley said, shuffling sideways towards the stake. Angel watched his ever move. "What about the whore?" Angel's blood boiled. How dare he!  
  
"Come here and say that," Angel growled.  
  
"Not without this" Riley held up the stake and lunged at Angel. Angel knew the distance between them was not enough for him to dodge it so didn't try. He closed his eyes and waiting for the pain. It never came. The only pain he felt was crashing to the ground as he was sliding tackled from the side and landed on the floor heavily. He rolled over to his left and coughed.  
  
"I'm a whore am I?" Buffy said as she kicked Riley in the face. Riley staggered backwards into his room hitting the desk.  
  
"I knew you were weird but a vampire just takes it" Riley said to her as he again wiped the blood from his nose. "I don't know what I ever saw in you"  
  
"You saw the present day Buffy. The Buffy that had already faced the Apocalypse, saved the world god knows how many times, and kept it all secret, but let me tell you now Riley Finn, I take crap from nobody. Especially guys like you"  
  
"And what was he then Buffy, eh? Your one night stand that went horribly wrong when you found out he was a vampire?" Riley provoked her. Unaware that Angel was conscious, Buffy continued.  
  
"No Riley I knew he was a vampire and I forced him to "seize the moment" with me because I loved him and still do. I love him more than I will ever love another person. More than I will ever love you" Riley was gob smacked.  
  
"Then don't let me see your face around here again 'cos its over Buffy. You've made your choice" Riley shouted at her as he slammed the door. Buffy turned to Angel who was still lying on the floor. She knelt own beside him and pulled him to sit up.  
  
"Sorry about the tackle thing" She said.  
  
"S'ok" Angel rubbed his head where he'd hit the ground. "Couldn't warn me next time could ya?" Buffy laughed a little.  
  
"Do you think you could warn me next time your going to get staked for me?" Angel looked into her eyes.  
  
"Buffy" He began getting to his feet, "I didn't come here to get staked"  
  
"Then why did you?" She interrupted.  
  
"To say goodbye. Goodbye to you" He faced her. "I knew when you ran off down the alley way that you hated me so I came here to tell Riley he had won you back. I didn't expect this to happen" Buffy reached out for his hands.  
  
"Then it's a good thing came here to tell Riley goodbye or I would have been stuck" Angel looked her puzzled. "I came here to tell Riley I loved him more than anything in the world. Then I heard him call me a whore and saw how angry you got, I couldn't let you die" Angel squeezed her hands tighter and pulled her into him, kissing her on the forehead.  
  
"Thank you and I heard you by the way," He confessed walking down the hall beside her.  
  
"What? When?"  
  
"When you said always in the alleyway" He said.  
  
"Oh then" She paused. "I was testing you" Angel looked at her. "Ok.That has got to be the lamest excuse I've ever come up with," She laughed.  
  
"Oh yeah" He laughed back.  
  
END (Short fic :D) R&R please :) 


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